12 Days
by Freedom Fighter
Summary: The Fireside Girls try to become the first troop to ever earn the rare 12 Days of Christmas Patch. Short featurette.
1. Act One

**"Fireside Diaries: 12 Days"  
****Story Written by Freedom Fighter**

So, out of the blue, a new "Fireside Diaries" feature, or rather, featurette! And it's a Christmas one at that. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this two-week special. What's the theme?

Well, if you read the title, you should have a good idea by now.

Also, if you're reading a "Fireside Diaries" story for the first time, welcome! You don't need to check out any of the other entries in the series to enjoy this, but if you like it, feel free to check them out later on! Thanks!

**Disclaimer:** The characters of 'Phineas and Ferb' belong to Disney.

* * *

_It was Christmas morn in Danville  
__And every child was waking to presents, stacked like a hill  
__The wrapping paper is torn asunder  
__Parents happy they did not blunder  
__The gifts they gave from down under. (The tree)_

_But now with all the gifts unwrapped  
__And the tons of decorative paper scrapped  
__All that was left was to enjoy their new well-gotten gain  
__Though a certain group of girls were about to be in… pain?_

A wireless landline phone started ringing. A girl reached over to pluck it from the base and answer it.

"Merry Christmas, Chief!" Gretchen said joyfully. "How are you…"

Before she could finish, Isabella asked her something.

"You want me to gather the girls at the lodge in an hour? Nothing personal, Chief, but there's a reason I greeted you with Merry Christmas…"

Again, she was cut off. She heard Isabella tell her to just get it done, and then she hung up.

"Boy, the girls aren't gonna be happy about this one."

**-**  
**12 Days, Act One (12.25.13)**  
**-**

The girls were all gathered inside the lodge of Troop 46231. And they were already voicing their displeasure about having to come in on Christmas Day.

"Why are we here?"

"There better be a good reason."

"Just because Christmas 'technically' isn't your holiday…"

Isabella balked at that last remark. "I'm not interrupting your Christmas, Adyson. Even if it's not 'technically' my holiday. And what's with the 'air quotes.' Who uses 'air quotes' anymore?"

Gretchen coughed, spurring Isabella to get on topic.

"Right. Anyway, there is a good reason I called you all in. We have a friend in need."

Isabella pulled out a scroll and unrolled for all to see. They all gasped at what was on it… a list of sorts.

"Even better… if we help her out, we'll be the first Fireside Girls to **EVER** earn the 12 Days of Christmas Patch!"

That changed all their minds immediately, voicing their approval with cheers of glee.

* * *

Isabella led the girls to a small neighborhood park. Gretchen was now holding the scroll and was reciting the first item off of the list.

"We have to find a partridge in a pear tree."

"What's a partridge?" queried Holly. "And do we even have pear trees in the Tri-State Area?"

"Found one!" announced Katie, kneeling down to pick up a pear on the ground underneath a tree.

The others ran over to investigate, but Katie's hunch was confirmed when a second pear fell from the tree, hitting her on top of her head.

"Ow! Well, Merry Christmas to you too!" she grumbled sarcastically.

As she rubbed the spot where she had been hit, the others gathered around her and then looked up into the tree.

"Wait!" Adyson exclaimed, pointing upwards. "I think I see someone up there!"

Everyone followed her gaze, and they indeed spotted evidence of a person sitting on a tree branch. Isabella took the initiative to try and get the person out.

"Pardon me, sir or madam, but why are you in a tree on Christmas?"

Instead of answering, though, the person decided to come down instead. She, an elderly woman, landed safely on the ground without incident.

"Well, what do you expect with housing prices these days?"

The group collectively gasped in shock.

"It's Shirley Partridge, of the Partridge Family!" exclaimed Isabella, identifying the celebrity.

"It's actually Shirley Jones. Shirley Partridge is the name of a character I played on TV once upon a time."

"Could you sing for us? We'd really appreciate it."

"What? A Partridge Family song? Honey, I haven't done one of those in ages."

The girls all looked up at her with sparkly eyes.

"But, if you insist…"

She cleared her throat, and then began to sing. Or attempted to, until she realized she could not remember lyrics to any of their songs.

"What? I told you it's been ages."

"Thanks for trying," Isabella said in remorse. "C'mon, girls. We need to find a partridge."

"Hold on!" cut in Milly. "Isabella, didn't you say she's a partridge?"

"A Partridge, Milly. Not a partridge."

"What's the diff?"

"You know," Adyson cut in, getting an idea. "A Partridge in a pear tree is a much better gift than a partridge."

"She has a point, Chief," added Gretchen.

"But she's an actual living, breathing person, girls!" countered Isabella. "We can't just give her to someone as a Christmas gift!"

"Actually," interrupted Shirley 'Partridge,' "if it gets me out of the cold for a few days, I'd be happy to help you in your dilemma."

"**WOOHOO!**" celebrated Katie. "We got ourselves a partridge in a pear tree!"

"Finally, we can go home!" Holly shouted. "You got it from here, Chief… see ya!"

Holly, along with Adyson, Milly, and Katie, all ran off.

"**YOU GIRLS KNOW WE JUST STARTED! THERE'S MORE TOMORROW!**"

The girls just laughed in response, not believing her at all.

**End Act One**


	2. Act Two

**-  
12 Days, Act Two (12.26.13)  
-**

The next day, at the lodge…

"**WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S MORE?**" shouted Katie. "Don't you see us taking down the Christmas decorations?"

Katie pointed to Milly, who tossed down a wreath to Adyson, who caught it with her body as if they were playing ring around the rosie.

"Like I said," Isabella repeated herself, "there's more."

She snapped her fingers, and Gretchen rushed up, unfurled the scroll, and told them of the next item on the list.

"Next up is, er, are two turtle doves."

"Turtle doves? Hmm… aren't those native to the Eastern Hemisphere?"

"If that's the case," Katie replied, "then how are we supposed to find them here, in the opposite-of-Eastern Hemisphere?"

Milly put a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. "We find things the way all Fireside Girls! With ingenuity and luck! A lot, a lot, a lot, a **LOT**… of luck."

* * *

Three hours later…

"Well, there's no luck here, Milly. Or turtle doves!"

"Well, Katie, we can't just give up! Isabella and the others are counting on us!"

"What do you expect? For two turtle doves to just come flying in?"

Suddenly, two turtle doves land on Katie. One on each shoulder. Milly held her hands up to try and keep her still.

"What?"

"Shhh!" Milly held a finger up to her mouth.

"**WHAT?**"

At the rising of Katie's voice, the birds took off, in opposite directions. Each girl took to the task of chasing one dove down.

"Come here, birdie!"

"I'm not gonna hurt you!"

The girls ran around and around, being led one way, then another, and then another. All until the two ran right smack into each other, resulting in a tangled heap of arms and legs.

"Can you get your leg out of my arm?"

"How about you get your arm out of my leg?"

Eventually, they worked themselves free. They thought the doves had escaped in the midst of their collision, but they were actually just standing a few feet away. Watching them. Curiously.

And then Milly trapped them using an empty wicker wastebasket. Before Katie could ask where she got it from, her friend pointed to a small pile of trash nearby.

* * *

The two caught up with the others, who were back in the park from yesterday; both Milly and Katie now had a turtle dove perched atop their orange berets.

"What are you all doing here?" they asked.

"The list is cumulative," answered Isabella. "We have to find a second partridge in a pear tree."

"But isn't this the same pear tree as yesterday?" questioned Milly. "Like, what are the chances of finding **ANOTHER** Partridge…"

Before she could finish, a second woman, one a bit younger than the one they met yesterday, jumped down out of the tree.

"I'd say about 100 percent," quipped Adyson.

"That's Laurie, the eldest of the two Partridge sisters!" identified Isabella.

"My name's Susan Dey. Laurie Partridge is actually the character I…"

"Yeah, yeah, we heard it all yesterday from your mom."

"You know where 'Mom' is?"

Isabella took her hand and led her away. "Sure. And, again… 'air quotes.' Really?"

"What's wrong with air quotes?"

"We'll explain it on the way," replied Gretchen, as they all walked out with a second Partridge and two turtle doves in tow.

**End Act Two**


	3. Act Three

**-  
12 Days, Act Three (12.27.13)  
-**

The third day of Christmas, on a farm just outside the city limits.

"It's mighty nice of these here farmers to let us check out their henhouses," Isabella said, leading Adyson, Milly, and Katie into one. "'Specially if they're selling them cheap."

Adyson picked up a hen at random, looking it over and even going so far as to look underneath her. "What are we looking for anyway? How can we even tell a French hen from a non-French hen? Do they eat croissant crumbs instead of bread crumbs?"

"No!" replied Isabella, albeit hesitantly. "Then again… no, that's silly."

"Ooh! **OOH!**" squealed Katie, running over to a hen looking at a poster of a pyramid. "Look what this one's doing! Pyramids are French, right?"

Milly pulled her away. "Next time you go to Ginger's house, hang out more with Ginger and less with her sister."

"Enough goofing off," Isabella spoke up. "We need to find three French hens. Even one would at least show we're making progress. Right, Gretchen?"

Isabella turned to face Gretchen. Only she was not there.

"Hey! Where's Gretchen?"

* * *

Near the outskirts of the farm, Gretchen was holding her cell phone up in the air, trying to get a good signal. While in the midst of doing so, she was approached by a bearded man in ragged clothes.

"I hear you're looking for hens," he said. "Of the French variety."

"Yes," Gretchen concurred. "Yes, I am."

He led her to a nondescript black van, and opened up the back doors. Inside were cages full of hens, each one housing anywhere from two to five fowl.

"Now, now, before you cry fowl… heh, fowl… they're all treated humanely."

The man pulled out a bunch of paperwork from his coat and handed them to Gretchen. She thoroughly examined them, yet to her surprise, found nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. Gretchen handed the documents back to him.

"May I see them?"

He nodded, and pulled the cage out to the edge of the truck, where Gretchen could peek in easily and check their condition. She was shocked that they dwarfed her in size, but other than that, she liked what she saw.

"How much do you want for them?" Gretchen asked.

"I don't take money, so… you're gonna have to give me something of value in return?"

Gretchen gulped. "Value?"

The man chuckled as he approached her with arms raised…

* * *

"Gretchen! There you are! And are those…"

Gretchen smiled proudly as she finished Isabella's sentence. "...faverolles? Yes! Yes, they are!"

"Where'd you get these from?" asked Adyson, with concern.

Gretchen pointed to a black van that was driving down the road.

"I also traded for these, too!"

She held up a second cage; it had two turtle doves in it.

"Gretch? What do you mean trade?"

"My two guest tickets to the Tiny Cowboy concert next month. He needed to make up for not getting his teenage girl anything for Christmas, so… I made his day!"

"Sweet!" Isabella chirped. "Now all we need is a partridge in a pear tree and we can call it a day!"

Milly walked over to a conveniently-placed pear tree and gently elbowed its trunk. Danny Partridge, or to be more accurate, Danny Bonaduce fell out of the tree, landing on a pillow Milly had thrown out to soften his landing.

"Hey, hey, I was sleepin' up there!"

"Middle child of the Partridge family, check!" exclaimed Gretchen.

"I already did the 12 Days of Christmas thing, you dames! For some teenage witch a few years ago!"

"Yeah, yeah," Adyson griped, gently pulling the Partridge toward town, "no references inside other references, please."

**End Act Three**


	4. Act Four

**-  
12 Days, Act Four (12.28.13)  
-**

"So, what's a calling bird?"

Isabella looked up from the scroll, hoping to get an answer from her girls. Adyson was willing to give it a guess.

"A bird that comes when you call it?"

Isabella glared at her.

"What? You asked! I don't know!"

"I think I do!" Gretchen exclaimed, sitting at the computer.

Everyone gathered around her, and instantly gasped with surprise.

"**OH, SO THAT'S WHAT A CALLING BIRD IS!**" they all shouted.

"Now the next question is," Isabella thought aloud, "is how do we get one? Or, to be more precise, how do we get **FOUR**?"

"Leave that to me!" Gretchen proclaimed, pulling out her phone.

* * *

Half an hour later, Gretchen led the girls into a pet shop named 'Pets Ahoy.' Inside was an assortment of various animals of numerous species. But the girls were the most interested in…

"Girls, welcome to the largest selection of birds for sale in the entire Tri-State Area!"

Milly and Katie started running around like kids in a candy store, amazed by all the different kinds of birds that were there. Isabella and Adyson were calmer in response, just taking in the sights as they browsed the selection with Gretchen.

"Rob, the owner here, is a friend of the family. If you need a bird, any kind of bird, he has it for sale."

"Any kind of bird?"

"You betcha."

Adyson stopped in front of cage labeled swans. It was empty.

"Ooh, maybe we should ask if he has swans?"

"No skipping ahead in the song, Addy," replied Isabella.

The trio came to a stop in front of the calling birds. Or, as the label on the cage read, blackbirds. Isabella silently counted them under her breath.

"Seven. Seven of them! More than enough, naturally. Good work, Gretchen!"

Gretchen smiled. "Thanks, Chief!"

* * *

A few minutes later, the girls, minus Gretchen, were standing at the register. The worker was ringing them up for four blackbirds, three French hens, and two turtle doves… which Rob, the owner, was bringing in from the back, along with Gretchen.

"I appreciate the business, little one! Tell your parents I said hello!"

"Will do! And, just a warning, we'll probably be back tomorrow."

He laughed. "This must be some client you have."

"She is, she is!"

He put the cage down on the counter, wished the girls all well, and then returned to his office in the back.

"How did our client pay for all these gifts anyway?" queried Milly.

"She's quite the resourceful one," answered Isabella. "She finds ways."

Suddenly, the girls were approached by a man.

"Pardon me, girls, but I can't hope that you're buying four calling birds, three French hens, and two turtle doves. As in the lyrics from '12 Days of Christmas.'"

"Yes! Yes, we are!"

"Betcha still need a partridge in a pear tree, right? Allow me."

He took out his calling card and handed it to Isabella. She read it aloud to the group.

"'Brian Forster, a.k.a. Chris Partridge.' Another Partridge? Here? What luck!"

"Just one question… I don't have to find a pear tree, get in it, and then fall out, do I?"

The girls giggled boisterously for a few seconds before Isabella gave an answer.

"No."

**End Act Four**


	5. Act Five

**-  
12 Days, Act Five (12.29.13)  
-**

"No need to do any looking today, girls!" Adyson exclaimed, running into the lodge. "I have us covered!"

"I hope so, Adyson, 'cause you're late," Isabella grumbled, looking at her fellow Fireside Girl with her hands on her hips.

Adyson unclenched her hand and dropped a golden ring on the desk.

"I asked my mom if she had one she wasn't using anymore, and so… **TA-DA!**"

"That's great, but where's the other four?"

Adyson looked confused. "Other… four?"

"Day five. Five golden rings. Duh!"

"Where am I supposed to get four more golden rings? Do I look like Scrooge McDuck to you?"

"If you did, I'd be concerned. For several reasons."

* * *

A short time later, Adyson was walking alone in the business district, trying to figure out how to get four more rings. Glancing in the windows in jewelry stores did not help, as she could not come close to affording to buy one ring at their establishments, much less four. She sighed in disappointment, staring down at the sidewalk.

"What'sa matta you?" asked a gruff, yet familiar voice.

Adyson looked up and saw Buford sitting at a table, offering services for a dollar. That was services spelled 'Cervises,' according to the makeshift sign he had taped to the front of his station.

"Buford! What are you doing… actually, I don't want to know."

She started to walk past him.

"You sound like one of them damsels in distress."

"Even if I was, I wouldn't be asking help from you."

"Come on! It's Christmas!"

Adyson stopped upon hearing those two words. She spun around and decided to tell her problem.

"Long story short, I need four golden rings."

"Well, you've come to the right place…"

"No stealing them from other people and no using gold paint on non-golden rings. **ACTUAL** golden rings, Buford."

"What do you take me for? I got you covered."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously! I got a guy!"

"You got a guy?"

"This ain't 20 questions! You want these or not?"

Adyson groaned. "Yes. Yes, I do."

Buford smirked, twiddling his fingers as if he were Montgomery Burns. "Excellent."

* * *

A few hours later, Adyson returned to the lodge. Again, a miffed Isabella was waiting for her. But this time she was not alone, as the other girls were there with the other gifts needed for the day, as well as…

"Hi!" greeted the adult woman with them. "I'm the woman who played Tracy Part-"

"Yeah, sorry, no time for intros," Isabella cut the woman off. "Adyson, do you have 'em or not?"

Adyson smiled as she reached into her pocket and pulled out four small jewelry boxes; she opened each to reveal a golden ring inside them all.

"Oh my gosh, Adyson, they're lovely! Where did you get them from?"

"From Buford."

Isabella was apprehensive. "Buford?"

"He assured me these are the real deal."

"And you know this **HOW**?"

"He has a guy, Isabella! What is this, 20 questions?"

Isabella giggled as she led the way out, each of the girls carrying one of the gifts or sets of gifts.

"No, he really has a guy! What's wrong with having a guy?"

**End Act Five**


	6. Act Six

**-  
12 Days, Act Six (12.30.13)  
-**

"We're ahead of schedule today, girls!" exclaimed Isabella, as she led her troop off of a bus.

The others glanced around, noting that the sandy lakefront at Lake Nose was barren of any human life. Then again, it was late December, so that was to be expected.

"We've been pretty lucky finding birds at all this time of year," Adyson thought aloud. "No way that streak continues."

"Toss the pessimism, Adyson! Somewhere here, in or around the lake, there are geese! And they are-a-laying! Eggs. So, let's find them!"

"Aye aye, Chief!" the others shouted, understanding their orders.

They all went off in different directions. Gretchen and Adyson combed the tourist beach, searching in, around, and atop of logs, trash cans, lifeguard towers, and anywhere else a goose might have a nest. Katie searched the reeds and other flora and fauna in the marshes on the west lakefront. As for Isabella and Milly, they were in a boat in the lake itself, searching in their prey's natural habitat.

"I don't wanna doubt you," Milly said after a while, "but I remember reading something about geese tending to stay out of Lake Nose."

"Well, it's the only recreational park in the Tri-State Area that remains open year-round. Can't get into the others without trespassing, and we aren't that desperate! Yet…"

"Wait! What's that?"

Milly, peering through some binoculars, pointed to something in the water.

"An egg? Wait! Eggs don't float!"

"Ahem… pull back."

Milly did so, and she saw the egg, one of four total, was actually floating inside a nest partially submerged in water.

"**DOUBLE WAIT!** Nests don't float either!"

"That's because it's not floating," rationalized Isabella, proving so by showing the nest was resting atop a floating plank of wood.

"So, if that's the nest… where's the mother?"

Suddenly, the pair became covered by shadows. Several shadows. They looked up and saw several geese flapping their wings, hovering above them.

"Mother? Try mothers, plural! This must be some kind of geese daycare nest that floated away from its caretaker!"

"Geese have those?"

"Well, I'd like to see you come up with a better explanation! **ROW!**"

The two rowed their boat away from the nest, which the geese converged on. Isabella and Milly began to fear for their own safety, believing the water birds would come after them, claiming them as responsible for their lost eggs. But they just hovered around the floating nest; each mother safely identifying her baby without interference.

"Awwww!" cooed Isabella. "Look at those six mother geese and their six baby goose eggs!"

Milly's face lit up. "That's it! I got an idea!"

* * *

Gretchen, Adyson, and Katie broke out in hysterics upon seeing Milly walk off the boat in a goose costume. Isabella shushed them as Milly squatted down to chat with the geese.

"We're gonna take you to a safe place out of the cold, so you can get your eggs will be safe and warm. Okay?"

One of the goose responded by promptly laying an egg.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Hey!" spoke up Katie. "Look what we found in the Lake Nose Gift Shop!"

Gretchen and Adyson stepped aside to reveal a Keith Partridge standee.

"Sorry we couldn't get the real deal," Katie added, in an apologetic tone.

"Reuniting a band is never easy," Isabella replied, consoling her. "But at least we're covered for the day. Right, Gretchen?"

Gretchen nodded. "Rob said they were already delivered to the drop-off point this morning!"

"Great job, girls! We're halfway home! Surely it'll get easier from here."

There was a brief pause, and then the girls all broke out in laughter.

"Yeah, we're **SO** taking the rest of January off."

They continued laughing as they made their way back to the bus stop.

**End Act Six**


	7. Act Seven

**-  
12 Days, Act Seven (12.31.13)  
-**

"Seventh verse, same as the sixth, girls!" proclaimed Isabella, as she and the girls got off of a bus at Lake Nose.

"I'm definitely getting a case of deja vu," grumbled Adyson.

"Again with the pessimism, Adyson? Why don't you make it your New Year's Resolution to be more of an optimist?"

"Make yours asking out Phineas on a date."

Isabella paused before answering. "F-F-Fine! Just you wait!"

Holly, having shown up for the first time since Christmas Day, snickered. "Glad I'm missing out on holiday celebrating for this!"

"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm in that?" questioned Gretchen, rhetorically.

Isabella started barking orders, splitting the group up.

"Milly, Adyson, and Gretchen… you three are getting six more geese-a-laying. Holly and Katie, you two are with me! We need to find seven swans-a-swimming."

The groups went off in opposite directions.

* * *

"So all that's really happened these past few days?" Holly remarked after hearing the entire story so far from Katie.

"It was a lot!" Katie exclaimed. "And we still have five more days to go!"

"Look alive, girls!" interrupted Isabella. "We got swans!"

Sure enough, a family of swans was swimming towards their boat. Two adults and their five children.

"So how do we round up this bevy?" queried Holly.

"Like this!" replied Katie, reaching down and picking one of the young swans out of the water.

"**NO!**" Isabella and Holly yelled.

Seeing one of their kids in danger, the parents immediately hopped out of the water and started attacking the girls. Well, mostly Katie, but the swans also pecked at Isabella and Holly for trying to defend their friend.

"Remind me… ow… why I'm… ow… here again?" complained Holly, in between attacks.

"Put it back, Katie!" screamed Isabella. "Put it back!"

Katie did as she was told. Holly and Isabella then each grabbed an oar started rowing back to shore. But the swans were not going to just let them go. They gave chase.

"Faster, girls! **FASTER!**"

* * *

The trio rowed back to the dock and hopped out of the boat as fast as they could. Back on solid land, they ran by Milly, who again was in her goose costume and was accompanied by six geese. But upon seeing the revenge-minded swans heading her way, Milly took off in fright as well.

The girls all ran into the back of an idling moving truck, followed by the six geese and, finally, the seven swans. Sounds of audible struggling, beak pecking, and cage doors slamming could be heard from inside. After a few seconds, the girls emerged one by one, sliding out of the back. First Holly, then Katie, and lastly, Isabella.

"**NOW!**"

Adyson jumped down from the top of the truck, grabbing the handle on her way to the ground, and slamming the door shut before any of the animals could get out.

"Gotcha!"

"Take it away, Gretch!" Isabella shouted.

Gretchen saluted from the passenger window of the truck, then gave the driver the signal to go. As the truck pulled away, the 'Pets Ahoy' logo was clearly visible on the side. The girls finally breathed a sigh of relief when the vehicle exited the parking lot, heading back into the city.

"All the birds in the truck and accounted for!" reported Holly.

"And I just got off the phone with Buford," Adyson said, her cell phone in hand. "His guy is already en route."

Suddenly, they heard a chirp from a nearby tree. A partridge - the actual bird this time - flew out of it and landed on Katie's head.

"Oh, actual partridge this time! Check! Must be out of Partridges. Heh."

"Wait!" Isabella said with a gasp, realizing something. "Where's Milly?"

* * *

Cue inside of the truck, in the dark, where Milly is squished in a cage with the geese.

"Hello?" she called out.

**End Act Seven**


	8. Act Eight

**-  
12 Days, Act Eight (01.01.14)  
-**

Milly blew a New Year's noisemaker unenthusiastically as she sat at the desk in Isabella's office. Next to her was Katie, who was currently on the phone. And she was far from chipper herself.

"So you won't do it? Well, thank you for your time. Happy New Year."

She hung up, and then turned to her friend and shook her head. Milly looked down at a clipboard and marked another X on it.

"We only need one more maid who milks to say yes!" she said aloud. "But the last yes we got was more than half an hour ago!"

Katie groaned. "How many names do we have left on the list?"

"A whole 'nother half page."

Katie groaned a second time as Milly reached over her and dialed the next number on the list.

"Maybe we should've volunteered to go back to Lake Nose after all."

"After I got locked in a truck for an hour in freezing cold weather? Thanks, but no thanks!"

The person on the other end picked up, and Katie pitched her offer. After a few seconds, she perked up with glee.

"Yes? Yes, you'll do it!"

Milly was ready to jump for joy. But Katie was not finished.

"But on one condition. Uh huh. And that is?"

* * *

An hour and a half later, Milly and Katie found themselves in a barn in one of the local farms just outside the downtown area. They were each sitting on a stool and a couple empty buckets were dropped before them.

"Where are the cows?" Milly asked, not seeing any around.

"You're not milking cows," the maid-a-milking told them, "you're milking…"

* * *

"**GOATS! WE HAD TO MILK GOATS!** I didn't even know you could milk goats!"

Milly ran her hand up and down Katie's shoulder, attempting to calm her down as they recuperated back in the lodge. While she was doing that, Adyson and Holly walked in. With their hair a mess and their uniforms all ragged, it had appeared they had gone through a rough time today, too.

"Swans are supposed to be majestic creatures!" moaned Holly. "Majestic!"

"At least you don't have geese bite marks," Adyson griped, holding up her arm.

Gretchen walked in. Physically, she looked fine, but she had a frown on her face.

"Well, we have to abandon 'Pets Ahoy,' girls. It'll be weeks before they can get any more doves, hens, or calling birds."

"This is starting to sound impossible," said Milly aloud. "What are we going to do?"

"Why can't we just give up?" suggested Katie.

"Because Fireside Girls **NEVER** give up," answered Isabella, walking into the room with a cage that had a partridge in it in one hand and a bag with golden rings in the other.

"But it's hopeless!"

Isabella handed the items to Gretchen and then slammed her hands down on the desk, startling everyone. Especially Katie.

"Fireside Girls don't know the meaning of that word!"

"Regardless," Adyson spoke up, "we're starting to hit a lot of dead ends, Isabella."

"I concur," added Gretchen. "We have to locate new methods of obtaining these gifts, and fast, if we wish to accomplish our goal of earning the 12 Days of Christmas Patch."

"I know things are getting tough, girls. But we'll find a way! I know we will! You just have to believe! Believe in the cause!"

The girls all looked at each other, all individually trying to decide whether or not they thought they were up to the task. After some hesitation, all of them decided they were still in, and were willing to work even harder to earn their patch… as well as satisfy their client.

"That's the spirit, girls! We'll have all hands on deck tomorrow, so let's start prepping now! Gretchen, start calling other pet shops in the area. Milly and Katie, do the same to find new maids. Adyson, give Buford a call and see if we can ramp up production on those rings. Holly, you and I will start doing a search for tomorrow's new gift. Got it?"

The girls all saluted in confirmation.

"This is only the beginning, girls!" Isabella exclaimed as the others went to work. "We're going to get that patch. No matter what it takes… that patch will be ours!"

**End Act Eight**


	9. Act Nine

**-  
12 Days, Act Nine (01.02.14)  
-**

"Ginger! Where have you been, girl?"

"Uh…"

"Never mind that! Want a new patch? Course you do!"

Ginger had not even been in the lodge for more than a few seconds before Isabella had gotten a hand on. She brought her over to Holly, who was already stuffing dozens of freshly-printed fliers into two knapsacks.

"Holly'll explain everything! I gotta go help Gretchen find a new bird supplier! See ya!"

With that, Isabella ran out. Ginger was confused, even more so when Holly shook her head.

"Shoulda stayed on vacation, Ginger."

"What did I just get myself into?"

* * *

A little while later, the two were on the streets passing out the aforementioned fliers, which stated that they were looking for dancing ladies.

"I'm sorry I asked," Ginger said, gulping after hearing everything the girls had already gone through. "But we're almost done, right? This is day nine."

"Yeah," replied Holly, "but that means the gift load gets larger and larger every day! And all for one client."

"Who's the client again?"

Holly whispered the client's name to Ginger. She frowned.

"So wishing Isabella didn't start issuing demerits for the H-word. 'Cause I so H-word that client right now."

* * *

But while Holly was giving Ginger a forewarning on things getting worse, Ginger had no idea how true that already was. Especially given what Isabella and Gretchen were up to.

"We've called every pet shop in the Tri-State Area," recalled Gretchen. "No one can give us full orders for the remaining days, but some can fill partials. One shop can offer us all the remaining blackbirds, another all the needed turtle doves, and yet another offered geese."

"You got one that offered geese?" questioned Isabella.

"Sketchy, yes, but our only option."

"Well, we'll have to piecemeal orders. Also, let's start calling in favors from out-of-towners. Maybe they can land us a few wings… as well as the rest of the birds. Our client specifically said the birds all had to be alive. And whole!"

* * *

While Isabella was making progress on that front, Adyson was having an issue with her supplier of golden rings.

"This is not the quality we agreed on," Adyson grumbled, holding up one of the rings she was picking up today.

"You get what you paid for, sister," answered Buford, sipping at his milkshake across the table.

"I'm paying you more than enough. And that doesn't include shakes!"

"What? I get hungry dealing with my supplier. He's a real shark, you know that? Makes me do work! I hate work!"

"Gee. I would've never guessed. Look, just tell him shape up or ship out!"

With that, Adyson stomped out of the restaurant. Buford shrugged and then went back to his shake.

* * *

That night, the entire troop gathered outside the warehouse. Isabella was taking stock of the gifts of the day.

"So we have all 45 items, right? **INCLUDING** the nine ladies dancing?"

"We got you a whole troupe!" Ginger proclaimed, showing off the performers in the midst of their act. "And this is only part of their membership… the rest has already agreed for the remaining days!"

"Let's see… eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and an actual partridge in a pear tree… again… we're all set!"

"How about tomorrow?" queried Holly. "Are we set for that yet?"

Isabella sighed. "If only it were that easy. Even I'm starting to think that we might need a miracle to pull this off."

Little did the girls know that someone or something was watching them from atop the warehouse. But was this person or creature friend… or foe?

**End Act Nine**


	10. Act Ten

**-  
12 Days, Act Ten (01.03.14)  
-**

"What is this you want me to see, Gretchen?" Isabella asked, walking with her up to the warehouse where they stored the gifts for the client during the day.

Gretchen whistled, which was the signal for Milly and Katie to open the doors from the inside. As the doors slid upward, Isabella immediately saw what Gretchen was referring to. Most of the items needed for the day were already present, even though it was only a little past eight in the morning.

"Where did these come from?"

"We don't know, Chief."

As they went inside, they missed a small flying craft take off into the sky across the street, driven by an animal wearing a fedora. Meanwhile, the girls found shipping labels attached to each of the items. Isabella located an invoice, which was on the crate with the turtle doves.

"Well, someone paid for it. **AND** signed for the delivery."

Off in the back were the human gifts, which including the eight maids-a-milking - with their cows - and the nine ladies dancing.

"Hmm. It looks like all that's missing are the ten lords-a-leaping. Oh, and a partridge in a pear tree. Huh. Funny how it's always the partridge that's missing."

"The girls are already on it," Gretchen said, filling in the gaps. "And by girls, I mean…"

* * *

"Where do we find lords around here? Much less leaping ones? We have a democracy here, not a… the one where there's one ruler over all."

"You mean a monocracy, Ginger?"

"Is **THAT** what it's called, Holly? I thought a monocracy was that thing rich people hold up to one eye."

"That's a monocle."

"That's not the same thing?"

Adyson cut in, shushing them both. "Hey! Look!"

They were standing in front of a mailbox with named 'Lord' on it.

"I have an idea!"

Adyson bolted up the sidewalk and towards the front door.

"This is a stupid idea!" Holly shouted, as she and Ginger ran after her.

"No, it's not," Adyson replied, stopping at the door and waiting for them to catch up.

Once Holly and Ginger had reached her, Adyson rang the doorbell. The trio then waited patiently to see if someone would answer.

A few seconds later, a British man with an imposing chin opened the door and stepped out.

"Yes? Mayeth I helpeth you?"

Adyson nodded. "Fireside Girls Troop 46231, sir. We're looking for leaping lords, and since your last name is Lord, perhaps there's someone in your family who leaps for a living?"

"I knew it," Holly grumbled. "Stupid idea."

The man frowned, staring at them for a minute. Then, without warning, he whistled. Suddenly, nine other individuals of different ages from as young as 12 to as old as 75 ran out of the house and onto the front lawn. The man joined them and then they spontaneously started performing a number of leaping routines. Holly gawked in disbelief while Adyson gave her a satisfying smirk.

* * *

Back at the warehouse, all of the humans were seen boarding a bus, while all the animals and other gifts had just finished being loaded into a truck.

"I think that's everything," Isabella said aloud, double-checking the list.

"You're forgetting me," said Keith Partridge, walking up to the group.

"Don't we already have one of you? Like the standee?"

"Contract dispute. My apologies. If it helps… I come with partridge?"

He held up a small pear tree sapling that was in a cage with a partridge.

"That'll do."

"Oh," he said while handing it to her, "give the contract negotiator my thanks. And tell him that's a nice fedora he's wearing."

Isabella scratched her head in confusion as Keith Partridge boarded the bus. Meanwhile, looking down from atop the warehouse was the girls' benefactor… an animal wearing a fedora.

And he was far from done helping them.

**End Act Ten**


	11. Act Eleven

**-  
12 Days, Act Eleven (01.04.14)  
-**

The doors to the warehouse rose up, and once again, it was filled with gifts.

"Whoa!" gasped Adyson. "They even included the partridge this time!"

She pointed it out, sitting in a three-foot pear tree in a clay pot.

"I've heard of generosity," Isabella said aloud, "but this is too much! Something's fishy here."

"I concur," agreed Gretchen. "If it was hard for the seven of us to keep us going through this list, how is one person - assuming it is just one person - completing it with such ease?"

"That's what I want you to find out! See if you can find some clues and track him down. Take Adyson with you."

The two girls ran into the warehouse.

"The rest of us are gonna look for eleven pipers piping."

Ginger and Katie raised their arms to ask a question. Isabella cut them off, already knowing what that question was.

"Of the musical kind, not the plumbing kind."

"Ohhhhhhh…" the two gawked in unison.

"Already on it!" Holly spoke up, whipping out a phone. "I got me a guy who can whip up some talent on the spot. But don't worry… he's not shady!"

"**I HEARD THAT!**" Adyson yelled from inside.

* * *

Gretchen and Adyson exhaustively examined all the packages that had been sent to them and had interviewed all the men and women that were there as well. Now they were ready to share their findings.

"So," Gretchen thought aloud, "all the packages came from the same place as yesterday, delivered by the same company and signed for by the same person. The same person who apparently signs with a paw print stamp. Cute. As for all of the people who were hired, they all got either phone calls or typewritten letters telling them to come here and that they would be paid appropriately for their services. But, get this… the company who contacted all of them is the same one!"

Adyson was already furiously doing some research on Gretchen's computer. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

"Got an address! Let's roll!"

The two headed out, watched by their mysterious benefactor from atop the roof. And he had a look of concern on his face.

A shaky one.

* * *

Back at the lodge, the others were auditioning groups of pipers. Isabella, Holly, and Ginger were serving as judges, while Milly and Katie were shuffling people in and out, each reacting to being accepted or rejected.

Finally, they were down to two groups of eleven piped pipers, each with members of various sizes, shapes, genders, ages, and talent levels.

"I like Group A better. But Ginger likes Group B better. Holly? It all comes down to you. Which group are we employing?"

All of the contestants looked nervous while Holly paused for dramatic effect before announcing her decision.

"You both are! Congratulations!"

They all reacted with excitement and joy, as half of them got instructed to come back tomorrow while the other half were to leave with them to join up with the rest of the 'gift package.'

* * *

"Here's the address! And it's… and it's…"

"An empty lot?"

Gretchen and Adyson were indeed standing in front of an empty lot located in between two buildings. They were sure that this was the address listed on the website but all that was there was a note tied around a brick. They picked it up and Gretchen, after prying the paper loose, read the typewritten words on it aloud.

"'We thank you for being a part of a pilot program that mass delivers Christmas song items to random charity groups. Your reactions have been noted and we look forward to saving your holidays again next year.' And it's signed with P."

"I hope you mean the letter 'P,'" Adyson remarked.

The two headed back, wanting to tell Isabella of their findings. Above them, flying off in the opposite direction, was Agent Pinky, who tipped his fedora to them, albeit sadly, because he would not be able to help the Fireside Girls get through the 12th and final day of Christmas.

**End Act Eleven**


	12. Act Twelve

**-  
12 Days, Act Twelve (01.05.14)  
-**

It was the twelfth and final day of Christmas, and the members of Fireside Girls Troop 46231 were in a panic. With their primary suppliers unable to help them and their mysterious benefactor quitting on them without warning, the girls were struggling to gather all the gifts they needed.

"Gretchen!" barked Isabella. "Status update!"

"Milly just checked in," Gretchen replied, shouting from the other side of the room. "We got us a partridge in a pear tree!"

"Great! Now, what about the other 77 gifts?"

Gretchen hesitated before responding. "Uh… try again later?"

Isabella stomped her foot. "It's already four p.m.! And we promised final day delivery by seven. That means we've got t-minus three hours 'til mission failure! Please let me know when someone reports good news."

"I'll try, but given the shortage of French hens and maids-a-milking, the lack of gold rings available for cheap, and the fact that our troupe of leaping lords, er, Lords, has come down with the flu and had to back out… not likely."

"I hate to use the h-word," Isabella said with a sigh, "but I might just have to. We need a miracle. Or someone with grand ambitions."

Isabella looked at a framed picture she had on her desk, and instantly the seemingly obvious solution hit her.

"OMG, how could I have not thought of this before?"

* * *

"So let me get this straight. You need…"

Phineas took in a deep breath, and then started singing.

"...12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, ten lords-a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying…"

He paused for a moment, as Ferb interjected, with a deep alto voice.

"**FIVE GOLD RINGGGGGGGGGGGGS!**"

"Good one, Ferb. Now, where was I… oh, yeah, four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree?"

"Yes!" Isabella nodded, in a bit of a panic. "Can you do it?"

"We can do it in our sleep! Ferb, I know what we're going to do today!"

* * *

And so, with the help of Phineas and Ferb, as well as many of their friends, the Fireside Girls set out to gather all of the items. Utilizing the boys' massive network of friends combined with the girls' vast database of cupcake fundraiser purchasers in the last three years, the great search began.

Immediately, the gifts started piling up in the Flynn-Fletcher backyard. Well, the inanimate ones, anyway, as the animate ones all stood or sat peacefully in one corner of the yard, conversing with each other.

"Alright," Phineas said, reeling off the checklist, "so we have the turtle doves, the calling birds, the swans-a-not-swimming… we're still trying to find our kiddie pool to house them temporarily, and the pipers piping."

Isabella ran off the list of stuff her girls had gotten. "We've got the geese-a-laying, the maids-a-milking, the drummers drumming, and, of course, the partridge in a pear tree."

"We're making good progress."

"We are, but it's already a quarter to six. We have to pick this up."

Suddenly, she received a text message from Gretchen.

"Just great. One of maids-a-milking just backed out on us. Said she had another engagement."

"Hmmm… where are we going to find another milking maid?" Phineas asked aloud.

"Hi, everyone!" greeted Stacy, walking into the yard. "Is Candace around? She's not answering her phone."

"I think so, but answer me this. Have you ever wanted to milk an animal?"

Stacy gasped, pulling out her 'bucket list' and pointing at number 53.

"How did you know?"

* * *

Stacy would not be the only other person volunteering their services, though. To fill out the rest of the list, many of the gang's friends volunteered to fill in the gaps. Buford and Baljeet dressed up as French hens, with the former cradling a real one in his arms. A group of women, who were free because their normal client, an ugly looking guy in a penthouse apartment, did not need them for the day, came in to serve as the ladies dancing. And to fill in for the lords-a-leaping were Irving and a bunch of other local neighborhood kids. Hopefully the girls' client would be okay with this amateur bunch, who could do nothing more but leap into each other.

"Almost done!" Isabella squealed, joined by Phineas and the rest of the troop. "Just need…"

Enter Ferb, who walked in five golden rings fresh from blacksmithing them from a few gold bars he happened to have lying around.

"Yes!" Isabella exclaimed, pumping her fist. "Now all we have to do is deliver the goods."

She paused for a second, looked around, and then smiled.

"We're here!"

"**ABOUT TIME!**" Candace bellowed angrily, coming out into the yard and bringing a blindfolded Jeremy with her.

"Candace, what's going on?" he asked, as he was pushed to the center of the yard.

Candace took off the blindfold so that all could be revealed.

"**MERRY 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, JEREMY!**"

Before Jeremy could react to the enormous present, or rather, presents his girlfriend had given her, the backyard was suddenly swarmed with policemen aplenty. Everyone seemed confused as they all put their hands up, surrendering without question.

* * *

The jail doors slammed closed, and the officer walked away. Everyone that happened to have been in that backyard was sitting in one of the cells at the detention center inside Danville's police headquarters.

"I try to get my beautiful boyfriend the best 12 days of Christmas presents ever and we get busted!" grumbled Candace. "Thanks a lot, Fireside Girls!"

"Candace," Jeremy said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't need to get me all this! Especially the trip to the slammer. But, seriously, just spending time with you is the best present I could ever wish for."

"Thanks! But I wish you would've told me before I spent all that money."

Meanwhile, over in the Fireside Girls' cell…

"Who knew you could get busted for creating a public disturbance?" wondered Ginger.

"Pretty sure it was for possession of importing banned animals," corrected Adyson, snarkily.

"It's surely some misunderstanding," Isabella thought aloud. "The police never could've expected a group of Fireside Girls to attempt to get all the gifts for the 12 Days of Christmas in such a short amount of time. Right?"

"I'm starting to see why that patch is so rare to get," remarked Holly.

"We're going to get out of here, right?" questioned Milly, a hint of fear in her voice.

"Yeah," added Katie, also concerned. "We're too good to go to juvy."

"I'm sure this'll all get straightened out in no time," Gretchen said. "Right, Chief?"

"Right." Isabella nodded. "Now, we just wait."

They all took a seat in the cell, all seven of them squeezing onto the bench attached to the wall facing the bars. To pass the time, they started having small conversations with each other about random, unimportant things that ultimately nothing. They would eventually be released a few hours later, along with everyone else, just because it was not worth the time or paperwork to process them all and move them to a proper jail.

And because, technically, it's still Christmas.

**End**

**Author's Notes:  
**I hope you all enjoyed this little holiday story. Nice to be experimental and do a 12-in-12 story (12 chapters in 12 days), which is why the chapters were all short and such. Probably something I won't be doing again, only because even these take a lot of planning beforehand and scenes involve having to get to the point immediately rather than fleshing things out. But oh well.

Anyway, gonna have an announcement tomorrow both here on Fanfiction and on Twitter, so look out for that. I think it'll make you guys happy. Or sad. Or possibly both. You'll see.

- Freedom Fighter


End file.
